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 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Total time: 1.5 hours.
2 cups leftover steel-cut oatmeal
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, OR 1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and both types of sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and egg, mix until smooth. Add salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix until smooth.
In a small bowl, combine half the flour and all the baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to the dough.
Continue to add remaining flour slowly. If your dough starts to become “dry” before you finish, stop with the flour and move on.
Mix in oatmeal. Fold in chocolate chips and other optional ingredients.
Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets before moving to cooling rack.
Super moist deliciousness. Was it the cooked oatmeal? The shortening? I’m not sure, but my cookies were super soft, whether in the oven for 10 minutes or 18 minutes. They looked “undercooked” when I pulled them out at 13 minutes, but I found that 13 was definitely the magic number.
Be sure to let these cool on the cookie sheet before trying to move them, and if you’re using chocolate chips, make sure your spatula is tough enough to scoop the cookies off without ripping them in half.
 Peanut butter, spicy grape compote, and apple slices The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to us by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen.
Preparation time: 1¾ hours consisting of :-
Rinsing and draining rice: 35 minutes
Soaking rice: 30 minutes (includes 5 minutes making the vinegar dressing)
Cooking and steaming time: 25 minutes
Finishing the rice: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups uncooked short grain rice
- 3 cups water
- For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water
Sushi vinegar dressing
- 6 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar
- 1 ½ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt
 Maguro Nigiri (browned tuna nigiri style) DIRECTIONS:
Rinsing and draining the rice
- Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don’t crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.
- Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.
Soaking the rice
- Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).
- Add 3 cups of water.
- Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.
Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
- Heat on low setting.
- Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked.
 From the chopsticks, clockwise: California rolls, Seattle rolls, ebi nigiri, sake nigiri, tuna roll, maguro nigiri Cooking the rice
- After 30 minutes of soaking, bring rinsed and soaked rice to a boil.
- Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.
- Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.
Finishing the rice
- Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.
- Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.
- Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.
- Dressing the rice with vinegar
- Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.
- Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don’t stir or mash rice.
- After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.
- Fanning & Tossing the rice
- Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don’t flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended.
- Stop fanning when there’s no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.
Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.
* Tip: While the rice is draining, soaking and cooking prepare your rice vinegar dressing, sushi fillings and toppings.
 Seafood-stuffed Lemon Total time: Approximately 35 minutes.
2 large lemons
1 cup chopped or shredded COOKED seafood
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 full scallion, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 stalk of celery, diced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut each lemon in half the “short” way, so that each side can be cupped in a hand. Using a spoon, scoop out most of the fruit. Don’t dig deep!!!! If you cut into the rind, you’re likely to get some real bitter bites. The best way to do this is to just use a hand juicer to flatten the insides of the lemon. (I froze my leftover lemon juice in the ice cube tray, one tablespoon per cube.)
In a medium bowl, mix together meat, cheese, breadcrumbs, onions, celery, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.
Stuff each lemon half as tight as you can with the stuffing.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
I used 5 large prawns, a handful of crab meat, and a handful of tuna (leftovers from sushi night, fried in a pan). I was originally planning to put an egg in the mix to hold it all together, but I forgot. The filling was plenty moist and held together well, though, so I left the egg out of the recipe. Unless your meat is really dry, I see no reason to add an egg.
I baked my stuffed lemons in my cupcake pan.
 Röschti with bacon, onions, and cheese Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
Adapted from Amy Pollien’s Röschti.
3-4 large potatoes, shredded
1/2 c butter (or less), divided
2 Tbsp olive oil (or less), divided
1 c shredded cheese
2 full scallions, diced
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
In a large mixing bowl, gently mix shredded potatoes, cheese, scallions and bacon.
Heat 1 Tbsp of oil and 2 Tbsp butter (or more) in a large and deep cast iron or nonstick pan on medium heat. Add the entire contents of your mixing bowl and press down firmly with a spatula.
Cook uncovered on medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes. Flip “out” your Röschti onto a plate or platter. Add another Tbsp of oil and 2 more Tbsp butter (or more) to the pan. Slide your Röschti back into the pan, uncooked side down. Press firmly and cook uncovered for another 12-15 minutes.
I quartered and boiled my potatoes for about 10 minutes, then cooled them for 30 minutes before trying to shred them. It wasn’t so bad.
I strongly encourage you to read Amy’s post instead of following my directions.
 Bacon wrapped around chipotle lime chicken, with rice and salsa. Oops, forgot my beans! Total time: 40 minutes.
2 large chicken breasts, halved
4 slices of bacon
1-2 cups honeydew salsa
1 tsp ground chipotle powder
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 a lime, juiced
Preheat oven to 400.
Combine chipotle, oil and lime juice in a bowl or plastic bag. Add chicken breast halves and coat well. Set aside.
In a lightly greased baking dish, spread out the salsa evenly. Wrap bacon slices around chicken breast halves and place on top of salsa. Bake uncovered at 400 for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Seen here served with Elise’s Spanish Rice and honeydew salsa.
 Honeydew Salsa Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
5-6 large slices of honeydew melon, skin on
1 large onion, skin on
2 jalapeno peppers
1 lime
1/2 c cilantro, divided
Cut the onion and jalapenos in half (long way for jalapenos). Grill or Broil onion, peppers, and half the melon slices until the edges just start to char. Flip or turn them until all sides are this way. Remove from heat and let cool.
Remove the outer layers of the onion and melon skin, discard. Chop two slices of onion and place in food processor or blender. Add jalapenos, cooked melon, and half the cilantro, puree until smooth.
Chop up the remaining raw melon and cooked onions and place in medium mixing bowl. Add puree and remaining cilantro, mix well. Squeeze in the juice of one lime, mix well. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
Makes about 3 cups.
I don’t normally like fruity salsa, and I never thought I’d make some, but I have this honeydew itching to be eaten, and I’m running out of ideas. I imagine you could use cantaloupe, pineapple, mango, or some other sort of fruit. This was startlingly good.
Total time: 8 minutes.
Adapted from the back of the jar.
http://www.bgfoods.com/recipes/detail.asp?RecipeID=122359&BrandSiteID=176
1/2 c molasses
1 c ketchup
1/4 c vinegar
1/4 c dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper
Mix well.
I did pulled pork sandwiches again; added a pound of pork and 1 cup of water and let it sit on high in my crock-pot all day. And, again, I had to boil it down to get rid of the extra water. This sauce is ready to dip as is, but it tastes better heated up, and it made for a pretty awesome sandwich.
 Spicy Grape Wonton Dessert Total time: 4 hours.
The Daring Cooks‘ October challenge of phở and dessert wontons comes from Jaden of the Steamy Kitchen.
2 cups seedless grapes, halved or mashed
1/2 an apple, finely chopped
Juice from one lime
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
water
4 Tbsp flour, divided
1 egg, whisked (optional)
1 Tbsp butter, melted
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan. If necessary, add enough water to almost reach the top of the fruit (I used 1/2 c, but it all depends on the width of your saucepan!).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Mix 2 Tbsp flour and 1/4 cup of water until most or all of the flour is dissolved. Slowly stir into fruit mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until your compote feels slightly thick.
Cool completely. (I let mine cool on the stove for an hour, in a bowl on the counter for an hour, and then in the refrigerator for a third hour. You could probably pop it straight into the refrigerator and save yourself 90 minutes.)
Preheat oven to 350. Place one teaspoon of compote in the center of your wonton wrapper. Sprinkle compote with flour. Fold creatively, and use the whisked egg to seal them shut. Baste the folded wonton with melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
I used my cupcake tin because I wasn’t sure of any possible explosions that might occur. 🙂 I could have probably used my cookie sheet and done 30 at a time instead of just 12.
My grapes were Concord grapes. I’m not really interested in revealing how many hours it took me to remove the seeds from four very large bushels of grapes. Let’s just say I’ll never do it again, and I don’t recommend you do it, either. #^_^# Just use seedless grapes or another type of fruit.
Yes, I’ve left out my version of phở, intentionally, based on a personal view that the internet is an oyster from which anyone may slurp the succulent meat.
 Pork and cabbage stir fry Total time: Approximately 40 minutes, plus rice or pasta cook time.
1 lb pork
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, julienne sliced
3 Tbsp tamarind paste
2 Tbsp ginger root, julienne sliced or minced
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp sambal oelek
Heat oil on medium heat, add garlic and ginger, heat through. Add onions and cook until clear (about 5 minutes). Add pork and cook through (5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your pieces). Add tamarind and sambal oelek and coat everything thoroughly. Add carrots and cook one more minute.
Place cabbage evenly across the top of the pan. Cover tightly and simmer 10-15 minutes (depending on how crisp you want the cabbage to be). Mix well and serve.
I could pass this off as a Thai stir fry. Easy.
 Apple Porkchops II (Uncooked) Total time: Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
1 lb boneless pork chops
1 apple, cored and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ginger root, sliced julienne style or grated
2 Tbsp butter, divided by the number of pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
cinnamon and sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 375.
In an oven-safe baking dish, evenly space dollops of butter. Place the sliced ginger root on top of the butter pieces. Layer the sliced onions on top of the ginger. Place pork chops to cover the piles of butter, ginger and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Lay apple slices on top of the pork chop piles. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cover and bake 45-60 minutes (thicker chops may take up to 90 minutes).
I was halfway through devouring my dinner when JB asked if I’d taken a picture. Of course not; I was unable to resist the aroma.
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